Prof. Somnath Sachdeva’s First Address being an Excutive Chairman of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan
Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan is pleased to announce Prof. Somnath Sachdeva (VC, Kurukshtera University, Haryana) its newly appointed Executive Chairman. On this occaision a formal address of Prof. Sachdeva was delivered on 27th December 2025 at 6:00 pm in Gyan Kunj, ITO Karyalaya. The event was graced by several digniteries including Shri Satish Kumar ji (Akhil Bhartiya Seh-Sangathak, Swadeshi Jagran Manch), Shri Kashmiri Lal ji (Akhil Bhartiya Sangathak, Swadeshi Jagran Manch), Shri Shridhar Vembu Ji (CEO, Zoho Corporation & Chairman of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan), Prof. Pradeep Chauhan (General Secretary, Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan and Senior Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Dr. Sarabjeet Kaur (Secretary, Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan and Assistant Professor of Economics at Zakir Husain Delhi College, Evening, University of Delhi), Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapoor (Chapter Head, Delhi Chapter, SSS and Director, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, IGNOU), Prof. Suresh Kumar (Co-Chapter Head, Delhi Chapter and Professor, Department of African Studies, University of Delhi), among others. Shri Satish Chawla (Swarnim Bharat Foundation), Rajeev Nayan Ji (IBSA Member, Mentor), Prof. Rajinder Kumar (Punjab Chapter Head & Professor in Shivaji College), Adv. Gagan Kumar (Mentor & Core Team Member), Dr. Himani Sharma (Mentor & Assistant Professor, LBS University) and researchers of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan.
Welcome and Introduction
Prof. Pradeep Chauhan welcomed and congratulated Prof. Somnath Sachdeva and the other guests, and introduced the dignitaries present at the event. He highlighted the achievements of Prof. Sachdeva as Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Haryana, and also spoke about the contributions of Honourable Shridhar Vembu Ji (CEO, Zoho Corporation and Chairman of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan). He expressed hope that Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan will reach greater heights under the dynamic leadership of both dignitaries.
Further, Dr. Sarabjeet Kaur gave a presentation on the work of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan through a PPT, covering various aspects such as working chapters, newsletter, journal, activities, lecture series, international conferences, MOUs, board of advisors, core team, and researchers’ team. Dr. Himani Sharma then presented the official website of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan, explaining each section in detail. Parima Sharma Ji briefed the gathering about the activities conducted at the Sansthan over the last two months and also gave an update on the internship program with Zakir Husain Delhi College and the status of the newsletter. Adv. Gagan Kumar Ji spoke about his vertical, Global Outlook of Bharat, and explained the work being carried out under it. Shri Satish Chawla Ji shared his views about Shri Shridhar Vembu Ji and Prof. Somnath Sachdeva Ji. He congratulated Prof. Sachdeva on becoming an outstanding leader of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan and recalled an inspiring statement by Shri Vembu Ji addressed to Bharatn NRIs in the US: “Don’t live in fear, come back to Bharat”.
Prof. Somnath Sachdeva’s Address
Prof. Sachdeva congratulated everyone on the grand success of the international conference. He expressed his delight at taking on this new responsibility in the presence of such eminent dignitaries and thanked Shri Shridhar Vembu Ji for the opportunity to work alongside him. He also expressed deep gratitude to Shri Satish Kumar Ji for entrusting him with this role. He emphasized that Swadeshi is the soul of the nation, it represents our dignity, self-respect, and pride. He appreciated the role of Swadeshi-made weapons during Operation Sindoor and highlighted how, in the past ten years, Bharat has significantly increased its reliance on Swadeshi in the defence and security sectors, with defence exports rising by 30%.
Prof. Sachdeva argued that Swadeshi serves as a bridge from local to global, encapsulated in the phrase “Vocal for Local”. For achieving Vision 2047, he stressed that Swadeshi is more important now than ever before. He called for preserving Bharat’s cultural and traditional values, as well as its knowledge systems, and urged Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan to act as a guardian of this national vision.
He suggested three key steps for the Sansthan:
- Strengthen Shodh (research) that is socially relevant and applicable.
- Work on connecting people and society with the Sansthan.
- Engage the youth, as Bharat is a young nation and their involvement is critical.
He underlined that Shodh and Navachar (research and innovation) will be central to this journey and emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in building a knowledge society.
Shri Shridhar Vembu Ji’s Address
Shri Vembu Ji congratulated Prof. Sachdeva and underlined the urgent need for Bharat to work harder in the technology sector, where the country still lags behind. He pointed out that determination among people is often lacking and stressed that research should focus on practical applications, inform policy-making, and generate ideas for entrepreneurship. He emphasized that entrepreneurs, above all, will be the ones to build a Prosperous Bharat.
Remarks by Shri Satish Kumar Ji
Shri Satish Kumar Ji expressed his happiness at Shri Shridhar Vembu’s extended visit to Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan, calling him the most inspiring personality in the institution. He noted that in the last three years, everyone has contributed toward building the Sansthan and its leadership, and now a clear vision for the nation has emerged.
He congratulated Prof. Sachdeva on becoming the Executive Chairman of Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan and fondly recalled their school days together in the 8th and 9th standards. He praised Prof. Sachdeva’s leadership as Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, describing him as an excellent engineer, manager, and leader who maintained a controversy-free tenure. He concluded by affirming that the Sansthan is now in a take-off mode and Prof. Sachdeva’s contribution will be pivotal.
Shri Kashmiri Lal Ji’s Address
Shri Kashmiri Lal Ji expressed pride in the presence of Shri Shridhar Vembu Ji and congratulated Prof. Sachdeva on becoming the Executive Chairman of the Sansthan. He argued that Zoho Corporation, under Vembu Ji’s leadership, has shown the potential to compete with global giants like Microsoft and Google. He remarked that Zoho represents a Bhartiya vision of technology carrying the fragrance of Bharat soil. Similarly, Swadeshi Shodh Sansthan embodies the same essence, and he expressed hope that the Sansthan would grow in the same way as Zoho.
The event concluded with a formal vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Pradeep Chauhan.
